בְּנָא
𐤁𐤍𐤀
bᵉnâʼ
H1124 verb
SILEX Entry
Definition
To build or construct, especially in reference to physical structures such as buildings, cities, or altars; by extension, to establish, restore, or rebuild something that has fallen into disrepair. The term is most commonly used for acts of construction or restoration in the context of the Aramaic portions of the Hebrew Bible.
Semantic Range
to build, construct, rebuild, restore, repair, establish (especially of cities, walls, temples, or public structures)
Root / Etymology
Derived from the root בנה meaning 'to build, construct.' The Aramaic form בְּנָא reflects the shift in pronunciation and orthography typical of Aramaic, distinguishing it from the Hebrew בָּנָה (banāh). This verb follows regular Aramaic verbal patterns but preserves the core semantic concept of 'building.'
Historical & Contextual Notes
בְּנָא appears in biblical Aramaic sections (primarily in Ezra and Daniel) and is used to describe both literal construction projects (such as the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple or city walls under Persian rule) and broader processes of restoration (of cultic or civic structures). Unlike its Hebrew cognate בנה, which occurs throughout the Hebrew Bible, בְּנָא is distinctive to the Aramaic text and should not be confused with later forms or meanings that developed in post-biblical Jewish Aramaic. English translations usually render it as 'build' or 'rebuild,' but the term also encompasses the sense of restoring or reestablishing something previously ruined, especially in exilic and post-exilic contexts.
Original Strong's Gloss (1890)
(Aramaic) or בְּנָה; (Aramaic), corresponding to בָּנָה; to build; build, make.
Bantu Hebrew
No Bantu Hebrew comparisons have been recorded for this word yet.
Root Family
בנה (Bayit) — to build, construct, establish
| Strong's | Lemma | SIBI-P1 |
|---|---|---|
| H1004 | בַּיִת | in the houses |
| H1005 | בַּיִת | the built-house |
| H1121 | בֵּן | sons |
| H1122 | בֵּן | son |
| H1123 | בֵּן | sons of |
Word Forms
13 distinct forms
| SIDANCE | Surface | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 | Occurrences |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1124-01 |
בָּנַ֔יִן | banayin | AVqrmpa |
they are building | the ones building | are building | 3 |
H1124-03 |
לְ/מִבְנֵ֔א | lemivene | AR/Vqc |
for-building | to build | to build | 3 |
H1124-07 |
תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א | titebene | AVui3fs |
is rebuilt | she will be built | it will be built | 3 |
H1124-05 |
לִ/בְּנֵ֔א | libene | AR/Vqc |
to build | to build | to build | 2 |
H1124-06 |
מִתְבְּנֵא֙ | mitebene | AVurmsa |
being-built | being built | being built | 2 |
H1124-12 |
יִתְבְּנֵ֥א | yitebene | AVui3ms |
be built | he will build himself | let it be rebuilt | 2 |
H1124-02 |
בְּנָ֖/הִי | benahi | AVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
he built it | he built it | he built it | 1 |
H1124-04 |
לְ/מִבְנְיָ֔ה | lemiveneyah | AR/Vqc |
to-build | to build | to build | 1 |
H1124-08 |
וּ/בָנַ֤יִן | uvanayin | AC/Vqrmpa |
and building | and builders | and we are building | 1 |
H1124-09 |
וּ/בְנ֣וֹ | uveno | AC/Vqp3mp |
and they built | and they built | and they built | 1 |
Occurrences in Scripture
22 occurrences
| SIDANCE | Reference | Word | Transliteration | Morphology | Common | SIBI-P1 | SIBI-P2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
H1124-10 |
Daniel 4:27 | בֱנַיְתַ/הּ֙ | venayetah | AVqp1cs/Sp3fs |
have built | I built her | I built her |
H1124-01 |
Ezra 4:12 | בָּנַ֔יִן | banayin | AVqrmpa |
they are building | the ones building | they are building |
H1124-07 |
Ezra 4:13 | תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א | titebene | AVui3fs |
is rebuilt | she will be built | is rebuilt |
H1124-07 |
Ezra 4:16 | תִּתְבְּנֵ֔א | titebene | AVui3fs |
is rebuilt | she will be built | it will be built |
H1124-07 |
Ezra 4:21 | תִתְבְּנֵ֔א | titebene | AVui3fs |
be rebuilt | she will be built | it will be built |
H1124-03 |
Ezra 5:2 | לְ/מִבְנֵ֔א | lemivene | AR/Vqc |
to rebuild | to build | to rebuild |
H1124-05 |
Ezra 5:3 | לִ/בְּנֵ֔א | libene | AR/Vqc |
to build | to build | to build |
H1124-01 |
Ezra 5:4 | בָּנַֽיִן | banayin | AVqrmpa |
are building | the ones building | are building |
H1124-06 |
Ezra 5:8 | מִתְבְּנֵא֙ | mitebene | AVurmsa |
being-built | being built | being built |
H1124-04 |
Ezra 5:9 | לְ/מִבְנְיָ֔ה | lemiveneyah | AR/Vqc |
to-build | to build | to build |
H1124-08 |
Ezra 5:11 | וּ/בָנַ֤יִן | uvanayin | AC/Vqrmpa |
and building | and builders | and we are building |
H1124-11 |
Ezra 5:11 | בְנֵ֜ה | veneh | AVqsmsa |
built | built | built |
H1124-02 |
Ezra 5:11 | בְּנָ֖/הִי | benahi | AVqp3ms/Sp3ms |
he built it | he built it | he built it |
H1124-05 |
Ezra 5:13 | לִ/בְּנֵֽא | libene | AR/Vqc |
to build | to build | to build |
H1124-12 |
Ezra 5:15 | יִתְבְּנֵ֥א | yitebene | AVui3ms |
be built | he will build himself | will be built |
H1124-06 |
Ezra 5:16 | מִתְבְּנֵ֖א | mitebene | AVurmsa |
it has been under construction | being built | being built |
H1124-03 |
Ezra 5:17 | לְ/מִבְנֵ֛א | lemivene | AR/Vqc |
to build | to build | to build |
H1124-12 |
Ezra 6:3 | יִתְבְּנֵ֔א | yitebene | AVui3ms |
let be rebuilt | he will build himself | let it be rebuilt |
H1124-13 |
Ezra 6:7 | יִבְנ֥וֹן | yivenon | AVqi3mp |
let them build | they will build | let them build |
H1124-03 |
Ezra 6:8 | לְ/מִבְנֵ֖א | lemivene | AR/Vqc |
for-building | to build | to build |
H1124-01 |
Ezra 6:14 | בָּנַ֣יִן | banayin | AVqrmpa |
built | the ones building | the builders |
H1124-09 |
Ezra 6:14 | וּ/בְנ֣וֹ | uveno | AC/Vqp3mp |
and they built | and they built | and they built |